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Research Methods and Conceptual Issues in Psychology

Module description

This module will provide you with basic skills necessary to understand and conduct research in psychology. You will gain an understanding of the main scientific research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, their advantages and disadvantages, and areas of application. This will help you to integrate ideas and findings across the multiple perspectives in psychology and recognize distinctive psychological approaches to relevant issues. You’ll get first-hand experience of participating in psychological research, learning the principles of sound data collection, gaining a critical understanding of the role of experimental design, the choice of research methods employed, and the analytic approach taken, for testing psychological theories. You will in the process acquire skills in writing (scientific) reports. Finally, you will gain an understanding of ethical issues related to conducting research in psychology. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to introduce you to important issues such as:

• the methods of scientific psychology and, in particular, an understanding of the strengths and limitations of both quantitative and qualitative approaches
• scientific reporting of empirical research
• essay and report writing skills for psychology
• the evaluation and critique of journal articles
• practical and professional skills pertaining to the conduct and management of psychological research with an emphasis on ethical issues

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Apply basic skills in experimental and survey methodologies within the context of psychology, and related issues of research design
• 2. Illustrate first-hand experience of how psychological research is conducted
• 3. Identify weaknesses in specific methodologies and understand the relative merits of quantitative and qualitative approaches
• 4. Identify the practice of psychology as an ethical science

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Acquire basic and essential factual and conceptual knowledge of the subject, and demonstrate understanding of this knowledge
• 6. Address well-defined problems systematically, think critically and creatively, and begin to appreciate the complexities of the issues at a basic level
• 7. Understand and apply essential principles in designing research, evaluate and analyse empirical evidence, and assess the reliability of empirical evidence using defined techniques at a basic level
• 8. Demonstrate some awareness of ethical issues relating to the subject and its application

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Manage information, collect appropriate information from a range of sources and undertake essential study tasks under guidance
• 10. Apply methods accurately and carefully to a well-defined problem and begin to appreciate the complexity of the issues
• 11. Act with limited autonomy, under direction or supervision, and within defined guidelines

Syllabus plan

Indicative examples of what may be covered include:

• Introduction
  • What is psychology?
  • How can we study it?
  • Why do we need a course on research methodology?
• Research in psychology: objectives and ideals
  • Why do research in psychology?
  • What are our objectives?
  • What are the properties of good psychological research?
• Writing reports and essays in psychology
• Managing information; crimes and misdemeanours including plagiarism
• Research methods
• Experimental design
• Qualitative methods
  • Philosophical choices.
  • Practical options.
  • Common misunderstandings.
• Research ethics
  • Science and society.
  • Participation in human research.
  • Key principles guiding ethical research with human participants in psychology

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Four assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in coursework assignments you will be required to resubmit them. Where you have been referred/deferred in the research participation you will be individually assessed in the participation element. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%; deferred marks are not capped.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative basic reading list:

• Haslam, S.A.& McGarty, C. (2014). Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Sage.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: (Lecture slides and notes will be available on ELE)

Key words search

Psychology, research methods, qualitative methods, quantitative methods, ethics